Nigeria picked up their first victory of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers with a convincing 2-0 win over Rwanda at the Amahoro Stadium, thanks to a clinical brace from Victor Osimhen.
The Super Eagles, under pressure to claim their maiden three points in the campaign, delivered a composed performance, controlling possession and neutralizing any threat from the hosts. Rwanda, despite playing in front of a vibrant home crowd, struggled to generate meaningful chances throughout the 90 minutes.
Nigeria broke the deadlock in the 11th minute when Osimhen converted a pass from Ademola Lookman, calmly slotting home to give the visitors an early lead. The goal stunned Rwanda’s defense and silenced the crowd, setting the tone for the rest of the game.
Osimhen doubled Nigeria’s advantage just before the break, in the 45+3 minute, with a solo effort that saw him breeze past Rwanda’s backline before finding the back of the net. The Napoli striker’s brace proved decisive and underscored his growing influence in the national setup.
Despite several substitutions and a late push from the Amavubi, Rwanda failed to test Nigeria’s goalkeeper Francis Uzoho meaningfully. Defender Bright Osayi-Samuel produced a crucial clearance in the second half to deny Rwanda their best opportunity.
Coach Finidi George made tactical changes in the second half, bringing on the likes of Tolu Arokodare and Alhassan Yusuf to preserve the lead. Nigeria effectively managed the game in the closing stages, maintaining possession and stalling Rwanda’s momentum.
With this result, Nigeria climbs to six points in their qualifying group, while Rwanda will need to regroup quickly ahead of their next fixture.
